What Does It Mean to Be Led by the Spirit!

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Paul sums up his whole message to the Galatians in verse 1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." But then in the passage above he warns them of the flipside of the equation.  The human tendency would be to take the freedom we have in Christ and use it to indulge the flesh.  It is sort of like a young person when they go to college and can't handle their newfound freedom.  
Paul's solution for handling the freedom we have in Christ is the person of the Holy Spirit.  Paul says, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."  In another passage Paul says, "Where the Spirit is there is freedom!"And then Paul gives us a lithmus test of what it looks like to walk in the Spirit.  He says that instead of indulging the flesh we should serve one another in love.  That's right, the antidote for returning to our sinful nature is to serve one another and bear each other's burdens.  
Sometimes we think the true test of being led by the Holy Spirit is characterized emotionalism and ecstactic experience, which it certainly can be as we see in the early church.  But on a day in and day out basis, the Spirit works in our lives by dying to ourselves and serving others.  When we were under the Law we served others out of duty and obligation, but under the Spirit it is Christ working through us to love others unconditionally.   
Who is the Spirit leading and guiding you to love these days?  Who needs someone to come alongside of them and be encouraged?  Who is carrying too large of a burden and could use someone to help lighten their load?  Christianity is not about rules but relationships.  As Jesus loved us unconditionally we are called to do the same!  

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